After finding the ferry, Meng Ruji noticed a flag fluttering in the distance, bearing the words "Mo Neng Du."
Meng Ruji mused to herself, “This place is truly strange—a place where you have to buy a boat ticket to leave, but it’s called a place with no place to stay. And this ferry is named Mo Neng Du.”
The lanterns were still the same red ones, but the sky was starting to brighten. The strange light on the Naihe River had disappeared, replaced by a hazy mist that made the surroundings look like a fairyland. The eerie atmosphere had faded, giving way to a more indifferent and leisurely feel.
Meng Ruji quickly stepped onto the wooden plank bridge of Mo Neng Du. The old planks creaked underfoot. She peered through the mist and saw two people dozing by the water's edge—one in a green shirt and the other in redwood. They were leaning against small stools with their heads tilted back, hats covering their faces.
Although the two looked peculiar, dealing with them seemed manageable if they were present.
Suppressing her fatigue from running all night, Meng Ruji approached and, with a polite bow, said, "Excuse me, I’d like to buy two tickets."
The man in the green shirt, sitting on the left, sighed sarcastically, "She wants to buy two tickets."
The man in the red shirt, on the right, immediately added, "How fresh, a big customer."
Despite their different words, their actions were surprisingly synchronized. They stood up together, their hats sliding down to their chests almost in unison. They caught the hats simultaneously, revealing two identical faces—pointed chins, small eyes, and dense spots on their cheekbones.
"You want to buy two tickets..." began the man in the green shirt, but before he could finish, the man in redwood took over, "Do you have two cents?"
Eight hundred years ago, Meng Ruji was on the brink of becoming the demon king, so how could she have money now? However, as she was on the verge of ascension, she was not lacking in priceless treasures.
She removed the jade pendant from her waist and said, "This white jade is from Kunlun. It contains the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and is unique in the world..."
"No, no." The man in green shirt waved dismissively.
"Who are you trying to fool with this broken stone?" the man in redwood retorted.
"In the Naihe River..."
"There are plenty."
Meng Ruji felt embarrassed. She touched her body and continued, "Then I have a gold hairpin..."
"Take it away, take it away."
"Who are you trying to fool with this broken copper and rotten iron!"
"In the Naihe River..."
"There are so many!"
The red and green men were overwhelming Meng Ruji with their dismissive comments.
Reflecting on her past power, when no demon dared defy her and she always had five guardians by her side, she never thought she’d face such financial trouble. After eight hundred years of slumber, not even having enough for two boat tickets seemed like a cruel joke. Would she really have to resort to a pirate ship?
Meng Ruji shook her head. "Then tell me, what can I exchange for a boat ticket?"
"We only accept money."
"Money from Wuliu Land!"
"Special approval from the owner of Wuliu Land."
"It’s printed with our logo..."
"Money!"
The man in green took out a copper coin from his pocket. Meng Ruji examined it closely. The coin was old, with its round exterior and square interior, worn down through countless uses. The inscription "Wuliu" on one side and "Budu" on the other was barely legible, but it was otherwise similar to human world coins.
Meng Ruji stood silently between the two men, contemplating. "If—hypothetically—I don’t have this money, how can I get on the boat to the human world?"
"Dream on."
"Even in your dreams."
Meng Ruji rubbed her brows. She surveyed the dilapidated Mo Neng Du ferry, noting the silent flow of the Naihe River beneath it. There was no spare boat or boatman she recognized.
If there were a boat, it would be easy...
Meng Ruji thought for a moment and then turned to the two men with a smile. "Gentlemen, I’ll get the money for the boat ticket later. Could you make an exception and let the boatman moor the boat here for now? I’ll get the money and we can leave directly."
Feeling the pressure, Meng Ruji resolved that, when the boat arrived, she would seize it regardless of the circumstances. The Naihe River was not wide, and crossing it didn’t take long. With a boat, she wouldn’t need a boatman.
The young man seemed good at fighting. If necessary, they could team up to subdue the two ferry guards and make their escape.
Meng Ruji, accustomed to navigating the human world, understood that sometimes circumstances were beyond her control. After awakening, she didn’t even know the state of Hengxu Mountain or her disciples. She needed to return as soon as possible.
After sorting out Hengxu Mountain, she could come back to settle the fare.
Meng Ruji resolved to remain friendly and gentle. However, the two men were not convinced: "A woman with a beautiful smile..."
"They’re not good people!"
"See the money and come to the boat."
"Don’t cheat the old or the young."
"No money."
"No boat."
Meng Ruji tried to reason with them, but her efforts were met with resistance. As dawn approached and the sun began to rise, the men grew impatient.
"It’s daybreak."
"Time to call it a day."
"I’ll come back later."
"Get out of here."
The man in green stood up and packed away his stool, while the man in red did the same and waved Meng Ruji away.
As Meng Ruji pondered other options, the red-shirted man’s hand was about to push her shoulder. She turned to avoid him, but a black figure suddenly rushed past her.
Meng Ruji was stunned as the redwood man was pushed into the Naihe River.
The Naihe River, though seemingly calm, carried the redwood man away like a leaf on the wind.
"Ah!"
"Xiaohong!" The green-shirted man grabbed a bamboo pole and threw it into the river. Xiaohong caught it and was pulled to shore by Dalu.
Xiaohong lay on the riverbank, spitting out water, while Dalu, relieved, glared at Meng Ruji and the young man.
"What are you doing!"
Meng Ruji, equally surprised, looked at the young man standing in front of her. He was taller and broader-shouldered, blocking the morning light.
Meng Ruji asked, "What are you doing?"
The young man turned his head slightly, his eyes calm and protective, which caught Meng Ruji off guard.
The young man looked at the man in green with vigilance and hostility. He said in a low voice, "If you touch her, I will kill you."
What? He was... protecting her?
Meng Ruji was taken aback. She hadn’t expected that after feeding him, he would stand up for her.
The young man looked fierce but appeared somewhat naive, easily deceived. The green-shirted man hesitated, not daring to confront someone taller and stronger than him.
He muttered and gestured for a while before suddenly remembering something. He took out a stone from his pocket, smashed it on the ground, and white smoke rose as he shouted, "Come to Monengdu quickly, there are troublemakers here!"
Xiaohong, now on the shore, joined in, pointing at Meng Ruji and the young man. "Deal with them! They’re so bold!"
Dalu added, "You dare to push people working for Wuliuzhidi into the Naihe River!"
"You won’t get away!"
Meng Ruji considered running but knew she couldn’t escape. She couldn’t fight and couldn’t afford to lose.
She took a step but then stopped, realizing she couldn’t run. She nudged the young man with her elbow and asked quietly, "Can you fight?"
When Meng Ruji’s elbow touched him, the young man shivered slightly and looked back at her. Her eyes were bright with hope, as if all her trust rested on him.
The young man was silent for a moment before answering seriously, "It depends on the opponent. These two can fight."
"I’m not dead yet!" Xiaohong shouted from below.
"We can hear you!" Dalu retorted.
"You still want to fight here without a place to stay?"
"We’ve called a hundred people!"
Meng Ruji ignored their taunts and leaned closer to the young man’s ear. "Do you still have spiritual power in your body? If not, can you mobilize the power of the inner elixir?"
She moved closer, her body heat comforting. The young man’s restless energy seemed to calm.
He shook his head. "What is spiritual power?"
Meng Ruji was taken aback. "You... you’ve forgotten your past so well."
With no time to pursue this, Meng Ruji focused on the immediate issue. She stepped back, her calm demeanor making the young man’s energy stir again. He frowned, trying to get closer to her, but Meng Ruji stood in front of him, protecting him.
Meng Ruji’s smile faded. She looked at Xiaohong and Dalu with a serious expression. "We fought because you tried to harm me, and my brother was worried about me."
Her brother?
The young man looked at Meng Ruji standing in front of him with confusion.
Meng Ruji said, “This place is not somewhere anyone can stay, and it’s definitely not a place for hooligans. You can’t kill us for this, right?”
Dalu sneered, “Of course we won’t kill anyone for this, but—”
Xiaohong added viciously, “We must arrest you and lock you up for a few days.”
Meng Ruji seized on the key words, “How many days?”
“At least three days!”
“And if you have a bad attitude, you’ll be locked up for another three days!”
Meng Ruji fell silent.
At that moment, a loud “bang” sounded from behind Meng Ruji and the young man, and several soldiers in black armor appeared out of thin air. Although there weren’t a hundred of them, the large swords on their waists and their menacing expressions made Meng Ruji think these few could easily match a hundred of Dalu and Xiaohong.
The young man’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the newcomers. Instantly alert, he bristled with murderous intent. He shifted and charged at the soldiers. Seeing his fierce determination, Meng Ruji feared she might not be able to hold him back, so she rushed forward and hugged him tightly from behind.
She touched him again!
The young man, suddenly embraced by Meng Ruji, froze. Shocked, he made a small sound from his throat, “Hmm?”
Meng Ruji’s embrace was like a damp cloth smothering a flame, and the young man’s fierce aura quickly faded. He turned his head, his expression stunned and slack, staring at Meng Ruji. The fierce eyes of a tiger now resembled those of a frightened cat.
Seeing his loss of momentum, Meng Ruji quickly let go. The young man, seemingly unable to control himself, uttered another confused, reluctant “Hmm…”
Meng Ruji gently stroked his back, as if calming a cat. “Don’t be impulsive, don’t be impulsive. Leave it to me.”
To ensure he wouldn’t rush out again while she wasn’t paying attention, she grabbed his wrist. She then pulled him behind her and addressed the soldiers with a serious expression, “Why are you putting on such a show? It’s just prison. Let’s go—no need to fight!”
Meng Ruji thought, between fighting and going to prison, of course I’d choose prison! Why risk so much for something that can be resolved in a few days?
Having lived through many situations, Meng Ruji knew well that sometimes you must accept the inevitable. She declared firmly and loudly, “I’ll go with you!”
Dalu and Xiaohong were stunned. They hadn’t expected Meng Ruji, who had been neither humble nor arrogant before, to acquiesce so quickly.
The soldiers were also taken aback. Didn’t they say they were going to cause trouble? With this attitude and cooperation, did she actually want to go to prison for free meals?
Only the young man seemed unaffected by this turn of events. His eyes were fixed on Meng Ruji’s hand holding his wrist. Her palm felt cool, as if it could soothe all his agitation and pain.
But soon, she released her grip, turned her wrists, and extended both hands.
The young man stared at her wrists, wishing he could hold her forever… How wonderful that would be…
“Come on, cuff him,” Meng Ruji said. Then, remembering her inner elixir still within the young man’s body, she quickly added to the sergeant, “And him too. We’re all together.” She winked at him, “Come on, let’s go together.”
As if afraid he might be harmed if he were slow, she encouraged him.
The young man remained silent, watching Meng Ruji wink at him repeatedly, as though entranced by some spell. He slowly extended his hands…
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